the three sisters: a meeting with serpent
poem: August 26th, 2019 | photograph: California, November 2020
Hello dear ones, happy Mercury day… a day that honors our liminal planet who goes between the worlds, our psychopomp.
And to continue with the tale of the three sisters, today we meet with another liminal creature who lives below ground and above. Our silent ally as she slithers…
The Serpent.
My own personal relationship tells a tale of kinship.
My whole life I have always loved and admired snakes, found them fascinating, wanted to be near them. Loved the feel of their slippery silk skin. I felt a resonance with them, I felt that they somehow knew me and I knew them.
I once went on an outdoor excursion where the instructor informed us that snakes generally do not want to bite us, biting and injecting poison (for the snakes that are poisonous) expends a lot of energy, and usually they only bite when they feel they are threatened. I have seen so many times on trails people with sticks trying to “play” with snakes. One man in particular was rummaging through some leaves on the side of the trail, upon asking him what he was doing he said he was trying to find a snake that slid across the trail and now was hiding in the leaves. I stated “maybe they just want to be left alone”. This also seems like a great lesson on boundaries…
Now, I am not a snake expert by any means but I do read energy and observe patterns. And if you leave snakes alone and respect their space, then I bet the chances of getting bit decrease significantly.
Living in California, rattlesnakes were our biggest feared snakes. I actually had not seen one in person until 2019 (no surprise there, that it was also around the time of me walking on the Path of Pollen and getting stung by a bee for the first time). I was walking on a very narrow trail and heard the rattle just off the trail. It was my first time hearing it, though it was unmistakable what it was. After jumping in surprise, I realized that they were rattling to warn me that they was there and to not bother them.
Again, I am not a snake expert, but the best advice for any creature when you enter their home is to be respectful. Snakes should always have the right of way if they are passing by. Doing research on the snakes in your area will also help to identify which snakes live near you and whether a snake is poisonous or not.
Okay, now let’s slither on into some snake stories.
Snakes are one of the oldest symbols represented in mythology. Some cultures revere them and some portray them as monsters to be slain.
In ancient Crete, snakes were the familiars of The Great Goddess and were greatly worshipped. In ancient Egypt, the primordial snake god Nehebkau was the two headed serpent deity who guarded the entrance to the underworld. He is often seen as the son of the snake goddess Renenutet who later was absorbed by Wadjet, the Egyptian cobra. Wadjet was the patron and protector of the country, all other deities, and the pharaohs. She was depicted as the crown of Egypt, entwined around the staff of papyrus and the pole that indicated the status of all other deities, as well as having the all-seeing eye of wisdom and vengeance.1
In the Book of Genesis, the Tree of Life contains all knowledge within the Garden of Eden, and is protected by a snake. Sumerian goddess, Inanna, one of the oldest known deities, planted a Huluppu Tree and placed a serpent there to protect it. Lilith also came to this tree to live. (I also had a dream in 2018 where I stood under this tree and met this snake, before I really knew about Inanna and Lilith).
*a brief note on Lilith for those who are unfamiliar with her tale, for she is also connected to serpents*
Lilith was the first wife of Adam who refused to lie underneath him, stating that she and he were equal and that she was not inferior to him. Adam was then triggered that she wouldn’t submit, went to God and thus Lilith was kicked out of Eden and replaced by Eve. And then who stood under the Tree of Life? Who chose to pick the apple of knowledge? Who talked to the snake? Who heard Lilith, the bringer of the medicine and the venom of knowledge and expansion? Eve. A whole separate post can be written about this and the connection of the demonization/punishment of snakes/dragons/feminine power that accrued with the onslaught of patriarchy his-story… but let us continue on this serpentine path.
In Hinduism, Kundalini (Sanskrit for “coiled serpent”) is the divine feminine energy (Shakti) that lies dormant at the base of the spine that can be awakened with various movements, mantras and breathing practices. When Kundalini is awakened, the coiled serpent then is activated and rises up the spine leading to spiritual liberation.
Snake lives its life moving amongst the base and roots of plants, offering its connection to divinity and all things chthonic, representing wisdom and sacred mysteries.
The snake as part of the Ouroboros symbol denotes this duality and continuity, when one leads to the next and the ending connects to the beginning. Snake teaches us that we hold both the light and the dark, that we are not always above ground sunbathing. And snake reminds us to honor this spectrum that lies within us.
We are transient and shifting, and they teach us the importance of shedding, and the cyclical nature of life and death, rebirth and fertility. And snake teaches us to be brave when going into the depths, and to be unfalteringly authentic to who we are.
From snake, we learn how to respect both our medicine and our venom, and we learn about the importance of honoring our boundaries.
There are so many tales, creation stories, and myths about snakes from all over the world. Since our first interaction with snakes as primates, they have been entwined with us and our own evolution story since the beginning.
For now, I will end this story time with this figurine of a Minoan Snake Goddess.
This week’s poem was written in 2019, after I had done one of my movement practices where the serpent came forth as a guide and protector. I also love the connection with this poem and the chakra system, and how the snake can help open and support each chakra center.
The photograph for this week is not of a snake, but to me this photograph represents a shedding that took place in order for me to take this self-portrait in the first place. A shedding and a coming into my own skin, my own power, my own sensuality and creativity. Working with the snake has significantly helped me on my own path of embracing and not hiding my authentic self. In addition, this photograph also calls on the pomegranate and its connection to the sensual pleasure and the chthonic, to Inanna, and Persephone - Queen of Heaven and Queen of the Underworld… the Ouroboros - as above so below - strikes again.
If you would like to learn more about working with the snake to help guide your shedding and embracing your power, sensuality and authentic self, then you will find beauty and unfolding in my upcoming course The Three Sisters: a guided journey with the serpent, the spider, and the bee.
The course starts in June and will go for four weeks. We will dive into the mythology of the serpent, the spider, and the bee, as well as learn movement practices to connect with these three allies. The hive will be held in a sacred and safe container as we are guided in creative projects and in dreams. Email me if you have any questions.
The organization share for this week is the Jaguar Rescue Center, located in Costa Rica, their mission is to rescue and take in injured or sick animals with the hope of nursing them back to health to be released back into their natural homes. I chose this organization because not only do they care for ridiculously cute sloths, monkeys and birds, but they also educate the community about snakes. They often get calls from folks who have a snake in their house or yard and will relocate them, decreasing the amount of snake deaths caused by human hands.
Their organization is another one that is completely funded by donations and tours. I would highly recommend checking out their website to see the amazing work they are doing for the wildlife (and to see photos!) around here, and to donate to help provide the necessary food and medication needed in order to care for these animals.
The song for this week is “Serpents” by Sharon Van Etten. The lyrics are powerful, staring straight into the face of the self and the other, calling for truth and no fake facades. Also calling on the shifting changing nature of the serpent.
As always, I would love to hear any thoughts or connections that come up for you and snakes. What is your own relationship with snakes?
Warm honeyed blessings to you during your transitions and shedding
<3
i live under the floor boards
of your house
but i am more than just a stalker
of a mouse
i slide into your head
and swim in dreams
when you’re in bed
then i slither down your throat
leaving my venom there to coat
so you may speak
truth
smooth and effortless it seems
when you can sing,
down in the heart i form my rings
tight at the knot in the chest
you will find the space between breaths
when i am done there, do not fear,
behind your navel i will reappear
there, i will stretch under sun
remembering the songs that were once sung
songs that are never done
for they lay with me inside your sacrum
etched in bone
they are unmoved like stone
so do not worry
i am in no hurry
coiled at your root i can hide
or you can feel me swallow in your spine
slinking and sinking ever so deep
with every layer i shed
the path within becomes more steep
-k.s.a.
http://faculty.sgsc.edu/rkelley/tree_serpent_motifs.htm